Suggestions for La Romana, Curacao, Aruba?

[noche_caliente]

Hello!
  My husband and I have done discover Scuba with a local dive shop, and I am in the process of doing the academic learning portion of the SSI course.  I will have only completed the academic sessions, with the pool and open water sessions to take place later in August.  We are interested in diving at the above ports on our Horizon cruise later this month.  I've reached out to Happy Divers in Aruba and Curious2Dive in Curacao, but I am looking for other recommended dive shops there and any suggestions for Lo Romana.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!

[omeinv]

3 hours ago, noche_caliente said:

Hello!
  My husband and I have done discover Scuba with a local dive shop, and I am in the process of doing the academic learning portion of the SSI course.  I will have only completed the academic sessions, with the pool and open water sessions to take place later in August.  We are interested in diving at the above ports on our Horizon cruise later this month.  I've reached out to Happy Divers in Aruba and Curious2Dive in Curacao, but I am looking for other recommended dive shops there and any suggestions for Lo Romana.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!

You've definitely reached out to the right places for Aruba and Curacao.  Jeffrey at Happy Divers can be slow to answer emails sometimes, if you don't hear back from him in a timely fashion, please use the link in my signature to email me, and I'll get him for you. 

 

I haven't been to the Dominican Republic, but I'll check who we use for referrals there.  I just finished up a class on Monday, and the students are going to the DR for their referral dives, so I should be able to get you a name quickly, followed up by a very current review on their quality within a month or so. 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

 

[noche_caliente]

Thanks, Harris!  I appreciate your help, and all of your past contributions on this forum as well.  Given your experience, I know you're well-aware of how overwhelming everything can be for a beginning diver, and your contributions have made the process much easier! Jeffrey actually got back to me within about an hour of my contact with him.

We have another pool session on Saturday, and I get more excited every day.  I grew up on the coast of VA, and my mom always swore I was part fish.  I just wish I had tried diving before 41!

[omeinv]

58 minutes ago, noche_caliente said:

Thanks, Harris!  I appreciate your help, and all of your past contributions on this forum as well.  Given your experience, I know you're well-aware of how overwhelming everything can be for a beginning diver, and your contributions have made the process much easier! Jeffrey actually got back to me within about an hour of my contact with him.

We have another pool session on Saturday, and I get more excited every day.  I grew up on the coast of VA, and my mom always swore I was part fish.  I just wish I had tried diving before 41!

I'm thrilled I could help.  Both Curacao and Aruba will be great places for your first dive trip.  With Jeffrey in Aruba, you should be able to dive the Antilla wreck.  It's a favorite of mine, but is quite suitable for the new diver, as the bottom there is about 50 feet, so you can enjoy a nice long dive, and really see the whole wreck.  It's broken up enough over the decades, that you can see into the ship with no need to do any penetration.  There's always lots of sea life there. 

 

Curacao you'll like go to the Tugboat/Director's Bay area.  This is a great site because you can do as much as you want, and then reverse, so you won't feel like you're having to push things at all.  For several years there was an oil drill ship in cold layup there, so it was really unique to be able to dive that close to a large ship.  Alas, it's been moved off to the breakers.  Nonetheless you'll have great dives, with lots of unique life, and interesting history on the surface as well. 

 

I'll be seeing them in October, but please tell Jeffrey and Lisl in Aruba, and Hans and Ken in Curacao I said hello. 

 

If you have any questions on your SSI on line materials or anything, please shoot me an email. 

 

Harris

Denver, CO